Legal and protection
Booking Terms
Payment summary
Payment at a glance
This repeats the key payment points before the full legal wording below. The booking terms in full remain the governing text.
Deposit
25% of total safari price
To confirm your place, before written booking confirmation is issued.
Balance
Remaining 75%
No later than 90 days before departure.
Booking within 90 days
Full price
Payable at the time of booking.
Payments are made by international bank transfer to the UK business account. Please make sure the invoiced amount arrives net of any bank charges.
Who we are
Okavango Skimmer Safaris Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 17218821. Our registered office is at 13 Osier Close, Worcester, WR5 3DN. In these booking terms, ’we’, ’us’ and ’our’ mean Okavango Skimmer Safaris Ltd, and ’you’ and ’your’ mean every person named on the booking, including anyone added or substituted later. You can contact us at hello@okavangoskimmersafaris.com or on +44 7964 591298.
We organise and sell small-group photographic safaris in Botswana, hosted throughout and led by a licensed Botswana professional guide, with ground services delivered by our local operating partners.
2. These terms and your contract
These booking terms, together with your itinerary, your booking confirmation and the policies they refer to (our Financial Protection & Insurance Requirements statement and Privacy & Cookie Policy), form the agreement between you and us. Please read them before booking.
Bookings are made by a lead guest, who must be at least 18 years old and confirms that they have the authority to accept these terms on behalf of everyone named on the booking, and that they will pass all relevant information to them.
A contract between you and us comes into existence when we have received your deposit and issued your written booking confirmation. Before that point we will provide you with the pre-contract information required by the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. Please check your booking confirmation carefully when you receive it and tell us within ten days if anything on it is incorrect.
Your safari is a ’package’ under the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018. We are the organiser of that package, which means we are responsible to you for the proper performance of all the travel services included in it, including those delivered by our local partners in Botswana. This does not include your flights, which are not part of the package (see clause 16).
These terms are governed by English law and any dispute will be dealt with by the courts of England and Wales, except that if you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland you may bring proceedings in your local courts.
3. What your safari includes
Unless your itinerary or booking confirmation states otherwise, the price of your safari includes:
– one night’s guesthouse accommodation in Maun on arrival, and six nights’ full-board accommodation in two exclusive mobile camps inside the Moremi Game Reserve;
– all meals in camp, bottled drinking water, soft drinks and the camp bar as described in your itinerary (wine, beer, spirits and sparkling wine);
– all game drives in a private safari vehicle carrying a maximum of four guests;
– two mokoro excursions with community polers;
– all park entry, camping, vehicle and campsite fees;
– road transfers between Maun and the camps as described in your itinerary;
– daily photographic hosting and coaching, evening image reviews and an image-editing session; and
– the services of your host, a licensed Botswana professional guide, a cook and a full camp team.
The price of your safari does not include:
– international or regional flights to and from Maun, or any airport taxes or baggage charges;
– travel insurance, which is mandatory (see clause 14);
– passports, visas and other travel documents;
– dinner and drinks on the first evening in Maun, which you pay directly;
– optional activities paid for locally, including the charitable donation for the optional Elephant Havens visit;
– gratuities for the guide, host and camp team;
– drinks beyond the bar provision described in your itinerary; and
The exact inclusions for your departure are set out in your itinerary and booking confirmation. If there is any difference between the two, your booking confirmation applies.
4. Our camps and how the itinerary works
Your safari uses exclusive mobile camps pitched at designated private campsites inside the Moremi Game Reserve. We select the specific campsites for each departure according to season, water levels and wildlife movement. Your itinerary describes the areas of the reserve we expect to use; the final campsites are confirmed closer to departure. Choosing or changing a campsite within the Moremi Game Reserve is part of the design of the safari and is not a change to your package.
Moremi is a national game reserve and all activities follow reserve rules. Game drives take place in daylight hours on established tracks; there are no night drives and no off-road driving. Activity timings may be adjusted by your guide for safety, weather or park regulations.
The safari carries a maximum of four guests. A minimum of two guests is required for a departure to operate (see clause 10).
5. Price and payment
Our prices are quoted in US dollars, per person. Guests travelling alone have sole occupancy of a tent at no additional cost, subject to a maximum of two solo places per departure. The price of your safari is the price confirmed in your written proposal and booking confirmation. We reserve the right to correct obvious pricing errors before the contract is made.
To confirm your booking you pay a deposit of 25% of the total price. The balance is due no later than 90 days before departure; the due date will be shown on your booking confirmation. If you book within 90 days of departure, the full price is payable at the time of booking.
Payment is made by international bank transfer. Where you pay by international transfer, please ensure that we receive the full invoiced amount net of any bank charges.
If your balance is not received by its due date we will remind you before taking any further steps. If payment is still not received, we may treat your booking as cancelled by you, and the cancellation charges set out in our Cancellation Policy will apply from the date we treat the booking as cancelled.
6. Changes to the price after booking
After your booking is confirmed, we may only increase the price to reflect changes in: (a) the cost of fuel or other power sources used for transport within your package; (b) taxes or fees imposed by third parties not directly involved in performing your package, including park, camping and government fees; or (c) the exchange rates relevant to your package.
We will absorb the first 2% of any such increase. Any increase will be notified to you, with a calculation, at least 20 days before departure; no increase can be made within 20 days of departure. If the increase exceeds 8% of the total price, you may accept it, accept a substitute safari if we offer one, or cancel with a full refund of all payments made. You will have 14 days from our notification to tell us your decision.
You are equally entitled to a price reduction if the costs described above fall after booking. We may deduct our reasonable administrative expenses from any such refund.
7. If you change your booking
If you want to change your booking after confirmation — for example your departure or the make-up of your party — we will do our best to help, but changes cannot be guaranteed. Where a change is possible you will pay any costs our suppliers charge us, plus an administration fee of US$100 per change.
You may transfer your place on the safari to another person who satisfies all the conditions of the booking, provided you give us reasonable notice in writing (at least seven days before departure) and the transferee accepts these terms. You and the transferee are jointly responsible for paying any outstanding balance and any additional costs we reasonably incur in making the transfer.
If you are sharing a tent and one of you cancels or transfers, the remaining guest may become liable for an occupancy adjustment; we will confirm any difference before applying it.
8. If you cancel
You may cancel your booking at any time before departure by writing to us at hello@okavangoskimmersafaris.com. Your cancellation takes effect on the date we acknowledge receipt in writing. The cancellation charges set out in our Cancellation Policy will apply; in summary:
Days before departure we receive your cancellation
Cancellation charge (% of total price)
90 days or more
Deposit (25%)
89 to 57 days
50%
56 to 29 days
75%
28 days or fewer
100%
These charges reflect the costs we commit to our camps, crew and park authorities well in advance, and the limited opportunity to resell places on a four-guest departure. Where we can recover costs or resell your place, we will reduce the charge accordingly.
Separately from the table above, you may cancel before departure without paying any cancellation charge if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances occurring at the destination or its immediate vicinity significantly affect the performance of your safari or the carriage of passengers to the destination. In that case you will receive a full refund of all payments made, but no additional compensation.
Cancellation for personal reasons — illness, injury, family emergency or similar — is exactly what travel insurance exists for, which is why we require it from the moment you book (see clause 14).
9. If we change your safari
Occasionally we have to make changes. Most are minor — for example a change of campsite within the Moremi Game Reserve, a change to the order of activities, a change of vehicle, or the substitution of the Maun guesthouse with one of at least equal standard. We will tell you about minor changes where practical, but no compensation is payable for them.
If before departure we have to make a significant change to a main characteristic of your safari — for example a change of departure date, a reduction in the number of nights, moving the safari outside the Moremi Game Reserve and surrounding Delta, an increase in group size above four guests, or a change of your named host — we will tell you as soon as possible and you may choose to: (a) accept the change; (b) transfer to an alternative departure if we offer one, paying or receiving any price difference; or (c) cancel and receive a full refund of all payments made within 14 days. Where appropriate, and unless the change arises from unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, we will also pay you reasonable compensation.
10. If we cancel your safari
Each departure requires a minimum of two guests to operate. If that minimum has not been reached, we may cancel the departure, in which case we will tell you no later than 70 days before departure — well ahead of the 20-day legal minimum — and refund all payments made within 14 days. We will not owe you any additional compensation in this situation, which is one of the reasons we recommend booking flexible flights (see clause 16).
We may also cancel if unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances prevent us from performing the package. We will tell you without undue delay before departure and refund all payments made within 14 days, but no additional compensation will be payable. If the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against travel to Botswana or the region of your safari at the time you are due to travel, we will treat that situation under this clause.
Apart from the situations above and non-payment under clause 5, we will not cancel your safari after your balance due date.
11. Our responsibility to you
As the organiser of your package we accept responsibility for the proper performance of all the travel services included in it. If any of those services are not performed with reasonable skill and care, including where they are performed by our suppliers, we will remedy the failure within a reasonable period, or, where remedy is impossible or disproportionate, you may be entitled to a price reduction or compensation in accordance with the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.
We will not be liable, and no compensation will be payable, where a failure or improper performance is: (a) attributable to you or a member of your party; (b) attributable to a third party unconnected with the provision of your safari and unforeseeable or unavoidable; or (c) due to unavoidable and extraordinary circumstances, meaning a situation beyond our control the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken.
For claims that do not involve death, personal injury or illness, and that do not arise from our fraud or gross negligence, our total liability is limited to three times the price of your safari. Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot be limited or excluded under English law.
The services in your safari are subject to the conditions of the local suppliers that provide them, some of which may limit or exclude their liability to you in accordance with applicable local or international rules; those limits are treated as applying to our liability to you for the relevant service.
If you find yourself in difficulty during your safari, we will give you appropriate assistance without undue delay — including information on health services and consular assistance, help with communications, and help finding alternative arrangements. Where the difficulty is caused intentionally by you or through your negligence, we may charge a reasonable fee for that assistance, never exceeding our actual costs.
12. Wildlife, remote areas and inherent risk
This is a mobile safari in a genuinely wild place. Our camps are unfenced and wild animals move freely through them, including at night. The Moremi Game Reserve is remote: medical facilities are limited, the nearest hospital is in Maun, and evacuation from the reserve takes time and may require air transport — which is why our insurance requirements are strict (see clause 14).
You must follow the safety instructions of your guide and host at all times, on activities and in camp — including the camp escort arrangements after dark. These rules exist because the environment demands them.
If, in the reasonable opinion of your guide or host, your behaviour endangers you, other guests, the crew or wildlife, or breaks reserve regulations, we may require you to leave the safari. In that case no refund will be payable and any costs arising, including transport out of the reserve, will be your responsibility.
Certain risks are inherent to being on foot, in vehicles and on water in a wilderness area with free-roaming wildlife, and remain even when we and our team exercise all reasonable skill and care. By booking, you confirm you understand and accept these inherent risks. Nothing in this clause excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence.
13. Health, fitness and suitability
You must tell us at the time of booking about any medical condition, allergy, dietary requirement, reduced mobility or other circumstance that may affect your safari, and tell us promptly if anything changes before departure. This information lets us plan safely for a remote environment; it is handled in line with our Privacy Policy. We may ask you to provide confirmation from your doctor that you are fit to travel where it is reasonable to do so.
Days in the field are long, tracks are rough, and you will need to get in and out of a safari vehicle and a mokoro unaided or with the help of a companion travelling with you. If you are in any doubt about suitability, talk to us before booking — we would far rather design around a requirement than discover it in the Delta.
The minimum age for this safari is 16 years.
Northern Botswana is a malaria area. You should consult your GP or a travel clinic at least six weeks before departure about antimalarials, vaccinations and other precautions, and check current guidance at travelhealthpro.org.uk.
14. Travel insurance (mandatory)
It is a condition of booking that every guest holds comprehensive travel insurance for the full duration of the trip. Your policy must include, as a minimum: emergency medical expenses of at least US$1,000,000 including emergency evacuation (including by air) and repatriation; and cancellation and curtailment cover for the full value of your safari. Your policy must cover the activities included in the safari, including open-vehicle game drives and mokoro excursions. Full details are in our Insurance Requirements.
We strongly recommend taking out your policy at the time of booking, so that cancellation cover runs from that date. You must give us your insurer’s name, your policy number and the policy’s 24-hour emergency contact number no later than your balance due date. If you have not provided evidence of the required insurance by 60 days before departure after being reminded, we may treat your booking as cancelled by you.
15. Passports, visas and entry requirements
It is your responsibility to hold the correct travel documents. British citizens do not currently need a visa for tourist visits to Botswana of up to 90 days, but requirements change — check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice before booking and again before travel. Your passport should be valid for at least six months beyond your departure from Botswana with sufficient blank pages.
Botswana applies specific documentation rules to travellers under 18, including carrying a certified copy of the child’s full (unabridged) birth certificate and consent documents where the child is not travelling with both parents. Check current requirements well before travel.
If you are not a British citizen, check the requirements that apply to your nationality. We are not liable, and normal cancellation charges apply, if you cannot travel because you do not have the correct documents.
16. Your flights
Flights are not included in your safari and do not form part of your package. You book them directly with the airline or your own agent, and your contract for them is with that airline or agent — including where we suggest routings or timings to help you plan.
We recommend that you book flexible or refundable fares, and that you do not book non-refundable flights until we confirm in writing that your departure is guaranteed to operate. Your arrival on day one should reach Maun by 3pm; we will advise timings when you book. We are not liable for flight delays, cancellations, missed connections or airline schedule changes, or for any part of your safari missed as a result — another reason your travel insurance matters.
17. Financial protection
In accordance with the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018, all payments you make to us for your package are protected against our insolvency by a financial failure insurance policy arranged through All Seasons Underwriting Agencies Ltd and underwritten by Evolution Insurance Company Ltd, policy number 2538912993. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, you will receive a refund of payments made if your safari has not started or, if you are already travelling, the cost of completing your safari or returning you to Maun will be covered. Full details, including how to make a claim, are in our Financial Protection statement, and confirmation of cover is available on request.
18. Photography and your images
Every photograph you take on this safari is yours. Nothing in these terms gives us any rights over your images, and we will only share or feature your work with your written permission.
Your host and our team photograph during the safari, including behind-the-scenes images of camp life and activities in which guests may appear. We will only use images in which you are recognisable for our marketing if you have given written consent, which you can give or withdraw at any time — your preference is recorded on your booking form.
19. Complaints
If something is not right during your safari, tell your host immediately. On a four-guest trip with a dedicated crew, almost anything can be put right on the spot — and telling us at the time gives us the chance to do so, which the law requires and which may affect any later claim.
If a problem is not resolved during the trip, write to us at hello@okavangoskimmersafaris.com within 28 days of your return, giving your booking reference and full details. We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and aim to respond fully within 28 days. We are not currently a member of an alternative dispute resolution scheme; clause 2 sets out the courts that can hear any dispute.
20. General
If any part of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder continues in full effect. These terms, your itinerary, your booking confirmation and the policies referred to in clause 2 make up the entire agreement between us. A person who is not you or a guest named on your booking has no rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 to enforce any part of this agreement.
We may update these terms from time to time; the terms that apply to your booking are those in force on the date your contract is made.